


An enchanted tale.

by lizmindpalace



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Autumn, F/M, Halloween, aesthetic, fall - Freeform, molliarty - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-08
Updated: 2019-06-11
Packaged: 2019-07-27 20:58:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 7,786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16227194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lizmindpalace/pseuds/lizmindpalace
Summary: October and the autumn hide secrets. Dark secrets she wish she hadn't discovered.





	1. Chapter 1

 

October. It had been October and its golden fallen leaves. It had become late, all day had been cold, and the night wouldn't give up. But she was tired, she had decided to spend some hours at the park. The desolated park everyone had forgotten just like they had forgotten about her. The air was playing with her hair, knocking at her face. It was getting colder and colder and colder. She was shaking but it wouldn't make her leave. She had found some company in the loneliness the park had. The trees' branches seemed to listen to her thoughts. She was not thinking. It was just like a vague idea running through her mind. She wanted to stop thinking. Enough hard days for a healthy mind, she just wanted to stay there, no one asking, no one laughing.

The freezing wind looked to places within her body to stay. She had started to think of tea time. She was freezing to the bones, her skin had become rigid, fingers hard to move. Some warm liquid rushing through her veins would allow her to continue admiring the grey sad sky above her head.

The smell of coffee brought by the wind from the other side of the woods made her remember the old coffee shop, way back to the human world. She wrapped her blue scarf (the one she had bought just because it looked like Sherlock's) around her neck and put all her forces on getting up of the old white wood seat she had been on for an hour and a half now. She had decided if she found the noise too loud there inside, she would have to return to the place, though she'd probably get a cold afterwards.

Her steps were slow. Slower than she would like to, but she found herself enjoying the sounds of the now dead leaves under her boots. Her toes were cold and hurting. Leather boots were not enough to stop London's weather in that time of year. It took ten minutes to arrive at the little place that was far way cosier than she used to remember.

After hesitating some minutes finally pushed the glass door. The ambience was so warm, her stomach made a noise once the coffee smell reached for her nose. She chewed her lower lip looking all around the place. There were less than ten clients in complete silence. She would take her tea there and head home after that. However, she was looking for the lonely corner to stay with herself and her thoughts. There were a big window, wooden tables and comfortable seats, piano sound in a background softly played since a stereo.  
"May I help you?" She turned to face a smiling black-haired young man "I think the table over there, would be the perfect one for your needs." He pointed at the more isolated table next to the window. She nodded and smiled, just a tiny smile that no one would notice except him. He guided her to the place and gave her the menu. "I'll be right here in some minutes, so I can take your order" and left as fast as he had arrived.

Molly scanned the menu. The pages were just like the place itself. Old, comfortable. The same thing about the drinks. Tea was not the thing she was wishing, for now, she had arrived at the place. Coffee. Just coffee.

"So welcome to Crimson Café," said the man waving at her. "I am sorry I didn't say the welcome speech before, would you mind not telling to anyone about this little incident?" The man begged. "It's been a complicated time for me and I don't want to get fired. I will try to give you a discount..."  
"It's ok, I don't need a discount, thank you, James," said the girl reading the name on his chest. "so why is it called "crimson café"? I mean the place has nothing to do with its name."  
The grateful man smiled back at her. "It has a lot to do with. Just look towards the window, isn't it beautiful?".  
The park she had just left some minutes ago had some red trees she hadn't paid attention to, during autumn looked more like golden but now she could see the point and nod.  
"So do you know what would you want to order?" Asked the man catching her attention once again. She swallowed not having a clue, looking at his face, looking for a suggestion.  
"I highly recommend hot cocoa and coffee with whipped cream and marshmallows, a sugar explosion that helps with cold and bad mood. And whether you are hungry or not, you should try the apple and pumpkin tart or some cinnamon pastries."  
"I'll have the sugar explosion then" she smiled "and a slide of the apple and pumpkin tart"

Her mood had actually improved by the time James had brought her order.  
"Bon appetit. Make sure to get close to the fire, it is going to make it better"  
Molly thanked and looked at the old wooden chimney, the flames dancing side to side, getting her attention.

* * *

 

The dark had conquered the light once Molly was walking by the path filled with orange leaves.

"Hey?" She called to the seat she had been at earlier that day.

"Hey" a whisper called back. "Shouldn't you be at home by now?" He looked concerned. "you left the Café time ago, I mean I didn't want to be... "  
"I should" she answered quetly. "Just I don't feel in the mood, I decided to walk around."  
He nodded. Was it too soon?  
"You'll get frozen to die. What do you think if we walk together to your house?"  
She nodded. The way home was better than she had expected, James was a good company.  
"Call me Jim" he smiled at her. "I am glad you allowed me to come with you. "  
"I hope to see you again".  
He nodded.  
"I am sure you will."

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

Why did he have to be that rude? She was nice to him, nicer than she should be. Maybe that was the problem, but she couldn't help falling for him.   
She just wanted to get closer, but not today. Today she wanted to move along. She was tired.   
She found herself stepping in the old Café she had been at the night before. She wasn't sure why, or she just didn't want to accept why she was coming back. She lied when she told herself that it was because it had been the best cocoa she had ever had, actually it had been a delicious drink but that was not the reason she was there. His smile, seeming to concern about her. It was not like she was in love, she was happy a person had shown some interest in her persona.  Maybe if she was lucky enough she could get a new friend who actually took care, a friend to get a word with and sometimes go out for a drink, and she was almost positive he would be glad to see her again.  She exhaled, it had been like a dejavu.   
"Hello, good afternoon welcome to Crimson Café, please take a seat and I'll be with you soon," said a not very friendly female voice.   
Molly looked up at her.   
"Actually... " She started, nervous, she didn't want to look like a stalker. "I'd like to James to be my host if it was possible"   
The blonde young woman made a face Molly could identify as a fake pity smile.   
"I'm sorry to tell you I haven't seen him around here today, probably is his day off"

Molly sighed, she was not sure if she wanted to stay, but she would look like she was crazy if she didn't. 

"I'm so sorry, could you excuse me? I need to... hey, Molly?" he smiled and she blushed without a reason, the woman talking to Molly moved away in order to allow to the both of them talk with total privacy.  

"I see you liked the coffee" he grinned "and if I'm lucky enough, maybe you liked something else too"

She was speechless, she really liked him but they had just met. 

"I suppose you have some free time? Do you really want coffee? Today is my day off... do you like pizza?" He asked. He seemed a bit less shy than the day before.   
She nodded and waited for him once he told her he had to do a something before.  
After five minutes -just as he had promised- they were walking outside to an unknown place. Molly got distracted of her thoughts of her new friend being a psychopath, looking at the sky, it would rain with no doubts and she was wearing just her tiny sweater, she had thought today would be different.   
"Don't worry about the weather" he said and she realised they had arrived to the pizza restaurant." This is the place, I like this one"   
"Looks different" she replied raising an eyebrow. "it looks expensive, James"   
The host took them to a table close to the window.   
"I don't know if it is a good idea to pay this just for pizza" she laughed.   
"It is on me" he smiled and she thought how much someone could get paid as a waiter and felt guilty about it.   
Certainly, pizza was expensive, but it was also the best pizza she had ever had.   
"Next time we'll order pizza in my place" she smiled nervously at him " so you won't have to spend that much".   
"You do not have to worry about things like that. I have a good job. No as a waiter but as something more."   
"You mean..."   
"This is just a temporal job, I needed to prove a point. I did. I work in IT, actually, sometimes in something else. It depends "  
"Depends on what?"  
"My mood"  
She had no clue what he was talking about  and why he would have to work as a waiter but nodded and continue in silence. The silence between the both of them was not uncomfortable at all. It was like a secret they kept for themselves enjoying the knowledge.   
He offered his coat to her when a raindrop fell on her cheek and the wind started to get colder. She did not want to accept it but he did not want to hear about a no.   
They ran the block to her house. And in her doorstep he kissed her cheek and ran away in the rain, waving goodbye.   
She stepped inside and looked at the coat. Black, soft, his perfume on it.   
_Who was Sherlock Holmes after all?_   
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took too long. I had problems with the plot, and felt suddenly without inspiration but now I have a lot of crazy ideas. So I hope I will write a daily chapter for this week and maybe I will get it finished.   
> As always thank you from reading and sorry for mistakes.


	3. Chapter 3

It had been weeks, months. She was not sure about how much time had happened. Hours and days seemed to be shorter if she was with him and longer if she was all alone, missing him.

Jim was very sweet. Sweeter than any man she had met. But also, there was something, something she couldn't figure out. A mix of sadness, cruelty and darkness. She liked it. Even he was sarcastic, and sometimes mean, with no intention, he seemed to keep too many things for himself too, like he was scared or just trying to protect her for an invisible dark force.

They became friends, closer friends. Both of them took long walks through the woods, take coffee, anything. Molly realised Sherlock was not that special after getting to know James. Because James was also smart, she could notice it when he needed to make big mental operations, when he talked about history, about science or whatever their conversation topic was, she loved to listen to him when he was explaining something. He was clever and still never made her feel like a total idiot like Sherlock used to.

The first kiss during a windy night had changed him, she noticed. He seemed less concerned about people around them, noisy people and what he considered irritable conversations. He seemed to come back to life, less interested in forgetting, on death. His eyes were brighter, and his skin less pale. And she liked the thought she made him happier because he had made her happier too.

-

Jim had taken Molly home like any other night after work when saw him through the window. Tall, slim, blue-eyed. Finally got to know him, exactly like he had thought he would be. What he did not know was he had seen him too. He had seen both of them holding hands, looking each other in the way they did. And that Sherlock Holmes, just as him, was not an angel, not at all.

-

"Would you still like me if I was not like you?" Jim asked when they were walking around the old church they were in. It was not like they were going to assist to a mass. They were there because it was an old place, desolated but still beautiful in its own way, the kind of places both of them liked to visit, artistic, pleasant, lonely places where silence was everywhere and they were able to speak with not words but gestures, smiles, blinks, looks that could be mean nothing to anyone, but not to them, they had created a language, only them could understand. "An angel. What if I was a fallen angel?"

She held his hand and took him to the altar buried in darkness, with a single light coming from the exterior, probably the moon, they could not say, dancing across the multicolour broken glasses of the windows from ancient times with paintings about good and evil in an eternal fight of power and wills.

"There are no such things as those, Jim" she smiled. "You see? They are just stories, stories to scare people. You know that. You have told me that"

"I know they are not real, love. It is a metaphor. I was just wondering if you would follow me in hell if it was the case; if you would want to be the queen of darkness in my kingdom; if you would give everything up as I would do for you; if you would remember me if I was gone. "

Molly flinched, he was speaking in such a cold tone and his hands were so gelid, as gelid as when she had met him, when she had touched his pale skin for the first time, as gelid as dead bodies in the morgue. A chill ran through her body. Her look worried.

"The only thing I wanted to say is that _I love you_ " like a promise at moonlight, like a spell, or more like a curse, the words were barely audible; he was not used to that kind of feelings and he had had a hard time realizing he actually loved her, and a harder time trying to convince himself the feeling would not kill anyone, not even he.

She chewed her lip and smiled, she could feel a tear running down her cheek because, for the first time, she felt the words were meant, she could feel he really loved her. And he took her in his arms, holding her tightly.

"Me too" she managed to say after some minutes. "You were scaring me. You did such a big drama just to say that" she whispered, not wanting to broke the atmosphere, it was peaceful, it was like a dream she always waited for and was finally coming true. True love had come to her.

"I had never told something like that to anyone before. Not sure what it was supposed to be like. I knew it would be something important to you, I wanted to make a good memory of the moment." He explained, as calm as he always when he was relaxed when he was no attending phone calls and seemed to become someone else. She had seen him changing his mood in some seconds, like Dr Jekyll turning into Mr Hyde, but in the real world. She leaned her head in his chest once the both of them settled down near the altar and she thought about those changes, his 'metaphors', the little hints about his mysterious job, the darkness shining in his eyes from time to time, and realised something she had always known but she did not want to see. He did never lie. He was evil. She was not sure how or why, and even how to prove it, but she knew it. And she seemed surprised once she realised that it didn't matter, she would never leave him. She belonged to him

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Halloween! And happy birthday to our loved king Jim Moriarty (Canon experts say today is his birthday, what a beautiful coincidence, isn't it?) I liked to write this one, I hope you liked it. Sorry for mistakes.   
> I wanted to get it finished for today but school and creative block did not allow it, but I have a few crazy ideas for this.   
> Let me know whether you like or not and thank you so much for reading.


	4. Chapter 4

He had disappeared. Vanished into the air, into the dark. She was worried, five weeks. He used to travel and leave because of his work, but this time there had not been any calls, any texts, anything. He did not even respond to his phone.

 She had a vague idea of where he lived, but he had never taken her there because he used to say it was not a safe place. But now there was nothing she could lose, she had to look for her boyfriend.

"Hello. I am Molly,  I was..."

"We don't like visitors, young lady." A blonde man appeared once she had knocked at the door a few times, certainly, it seemed a fancy place. 

"Oh I'm so sorry for bothering you, I was... I am looking for my boyfriend, he told me he lives here" 

The man raised an eyebrow and looked fixed at her. 

"What's his name?" 

Molly bit her lip. 

"Jim. James, James Moriarty"

The man got pale like if life had suddenly abandoned his body and his breathe became slow and imperceptible.

"Is there any problem? I've not seen him for five weeks. Do you know him? Do you know where's he?"

The man moved his head back and forth slowly, thinking in something Molly was scared to know. 

"Five weeks?" 

Molly nodded, she was not sure why the man looked so scared, like if he had seen a ghost.

"James... James has been dead for five months now"

- 

"This must be some kind of joke!" She said, tears running down her cheeks in front of the grave with the name, his name. "Jim if you want to finish this, you can just tell me, if you want to get away of me, but please this is impossible, I have been talking to you for the last three months, I've seen you, we've been on dates, don't lie to me, this way!"

The man looked at her, he did miss Jim too.

"How long had you been dating?"

"Eleven months..." She whispered, look fixed on the damn grave  "This is impossible! Don't do this to me, Jim, please! You can trust me. This is not funny"

Some minutes later, the man hailed a cab for Molly, she was so affected, he could not allow her to go home all alone. 

"Are you sure you saw him?" asked the man before she left.

She nodded.

"You know, I am not crazy"

Molly laid on her couch and cried until he fell asleep. Once she woke up she had forgotten what had happened and a feeling made her think she had had a terrible nightmare. She made herself breakfast, took a shower and got dressed for work, her mind would get to fool her if one of Jim's ties hadn't been in the wardrobe. Why would he play like this with her?

It was not an option she had been talking and kissing to anyone but a shadow in her mind all this time, she was not insane. She looked for one of the pictures of Jim and her together in her phone, the last one had been just six months ago, in spring holidays, they had been at the New York museum. Nothing on the last five months. No calls, no texts. 

_She had not been dreaming! It could not be! It had to be a trick! One of those he liked to do to impress her with his massive intellect, to surprise her, to play, he loved games._

_-_

_Two weeks later._

Molly was still trying to get over the death of Jim. Some nights her head had not allowed her to sleep, some others it had been her crying. And some others the alcohol.  

The idea he would be doing that little game because he was in a true danger, or he wanted to rid off from her was as painful as the one of Jim being dead. What was worse was the idea of herself getting crazy. 

She had stayed in her flat all day, all night in her bed, getting up just to eat something, take some wine or take a shower. 

And no one had noticed, neither her friends nor her co-workers nor even Sherlock. Because Jim was everything she had and she didn't want to give up waiting for him. Lonelyness was worse than before. She would wait awake for the night waiting to hear his steps walking, waiting for him to join her in the bed and hold her like every night. 

But it didn't happen. He was gone. 

Now she was standing in the grave again, white and red flowers in her hands. She had decided she would go every day before getting to work so he would not be alone, neither she. The both of them would be together until was time for her to go with him. 

_Little one, you're mine._

A whisper in the air. There were no words, she was sure it was her mind trying to comfort her, trying to make her feel better, but remembering him was not working at all. She had to let him go. And she would have succeeded if she had not been so lonely and desolated.  So she chose to live with his ghost, and sometimes talk to him and smile to the image she knew her brain was creating for her, so she was not alone again. What was the worse could happen? She had been living with that image for the last months, thinking it was alive.

"Now's time for work, I love you, Jim"

A surprise would be waiting once she got home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading. Sorry about mistakes.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is not Halloween but I remembered I had this chapter sort of written so I finished it and here it is.  
> I keep listening a playlist that reminds me autumn feelings so I think I'm gonna keep writing for a while. (And try to remember was this story was about)  
> I just remember it is sort of based in the song of the first lines, I hope you can listen to it because it is very nice. 
> 
> https://youtu.be/B0QGX2M3y_c

_I feel sorry about that old tale, which didn't have the ending I had imagined._  
_I feel sorry I can't write this sad song and give it to you._  
_And there you are, get used to it. I was not able, I got lost in myself._  
_I am sorry about being your blue devil*, your faithful enemy now a taboo._  
_I feel ultrasounds into myself of something I forgot while I was looking at the rain._  
\- [Los amantes del círculo polar- La oreja de Van Gogh](https://youtu.be/B0QGX2M3y_c)

 

* * *

 

"How did it happen?" Molly asked; she did not want to be rude but she was so nervous, angry, scared, sad, her heart racing faster than she thought it was possible. "I need to know it, please!"

The man had been surprised about seeing the woman once again, and after hesitating some seconds, he finally let her in, offering some tea, she had to accept. She was as pale as a lifeless body, and he wondered what had happened to her. Why was she back?

"Well, I don't know how much you know about James" he was lying, he knew how much information Molly had, Jim had told him to be careful with her.  
"For God's sake! We were in love, I need answers... please."  
"It is not that simple" the man said calmly. "He had an enemy"  
"Enemy?" She raised an eyebrow, how was that even possible, it was not a horror film, normal people didn't have enemies, an enemy? Really?  
"He had to die, it is all I have to say, sorry"  
"Had to?" Molly almost sarcastically laughed out loud with that answer. Had to. Like if it was an easy choice, like if it was part of a child's game.  
The blonde man sighed.  
"Look, Molly. I know you are hurt, this hurts, I get it. I miss him too. But he made his own choices and if you knew him as much as you say you do, well, you know I am right. "  
She was upset and crying, again.  
"What do you mean? Why is there always a code of speaking? Why is not clear? Choices? What kind of choices? He chose death? Why? Please, I just need to know it... I need to save him "  
Sebastian stared at her, raising an eyebrow. Those words reminded him Jim, months ago, before he told him what risks his plan could take.  
" I need someone to save me"  
He had told him. And of course, Sebastian had offered himself the same second but he had said there was  nothing he could do, not him.  
"And so the speaking code you are complaining about you use it too. What is this about? What made you to come back? I think the both of us could be a bit clearlier."  
She nodded.  
"Why are you here, Molly Hooper?"  
Molly sighed and took a sip of her tea, this would be hard.  
-  
Sherlock had been wondering how much time Moriarty would take for his next game.  
He could not lie to himself, he was excited about it. Waiting just to show off, to show everyone he was a proper genius far more brilliant than anyone once again, finally he had found (been found by) someone as clever as himself, someone who worthed his time.  
He was bored, it had been weeks now. Not a single clue of the next step. Had he forgotten him? No, it was not possible, otherwise he wouldn't have gone to his flat to say he owed him a fall. Or maybe that was the fall, getting ignored, bored, so he would find death himself, bored to death. That would be cruel. But that was what Moriarty did. Being cruel was his best ability, even he didn't try, it was innate.   
John had convinced him, he needed to walk, get some fresh air.  
The park was a place he did not like to go often. He would spend time in his flat, library even, but park was always filled with noisy and smiling people. And couples.  
He hated couples. Living outside their minds, seeing things that were not real. Crying after realising they had been more stupid than the average humans. Kisses, hands holding. Boring, ordinary, stupid.  
He sighed and looked at his phone.  
_Where are you, Jim?_  
And then he saw him. Holding hands with a girl. Sherlock had been actually _replaced_. (Of course if it was not another silly game, James liked to do to mess with Sherlock).  
But then Sherlock deduced and though Moriarty was impossible to read he saw.  
Saw the signs. _What have you done, Jim?_  
-  
It was pretty late. Her shift always finished late. It was normal, though. night and death were some kind of synonyms. However, she didn't like to think about death like a dark thing. She liked to think dark had been made to rest so death had. There was no pain, there was peace. The sort of peace Jim needed, the sort of place where Jim would be alright, happy.  
"I am home, Jim" Molly said once she entered in her flat. No one answered just as she expected. It would take some time to her mind to see Jim lying in the couch. And then all of a sudden he was there, grinning, staring at the floor. She looked at the same direction, she had not noticed the letter. She hurried and he nodded.

White paper sheet, handwriting, his handwriting. 

" _Find another me. I won't tell that you lie. Mary isn't the one church._  
_Color of Shadows. You need to save me_."

Now again... That code of speaking Jim was always using. 

"I know you like it, love" the ghost (her mind) said and smirked "save me".

So she hurried. She needed to know what had really happened, Sebastian, the blonde man, would help her, he had to help her. She had a feeling he had far more information than he had admitted the last time she had met him and she would figure it out.   


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any clues what is the code about? Let me know.


	6. Chapter 6

"You again?"  
The man rolled his eyes at her and turned his back, coming back where he had come from, door open so she could enter after him.   
"Nice to see you too" the girl answered   
"Have a seat. What's this time? Is Jim's ghost disturbing your dreams?"   
"Yesterday I was here I wasn't brave enough to let you know what was happening".   
"You said we would talk clearly and then you ran away as if I was gonna kill you" he shrugged.   
" I was scared"  
"I was well aware of it"   
"Let me finish! I was scared of the answers, I was scared you would not understand"   
" And I do?"   
The girl looked at him upset. Finally, she handed him the letter she had found.   
He stared at the letter for some minutes, staying quiet.   
"Jim's handwriting I see. A note, is it? A final love letter?"   
"You say you are cleverer than average people but you can't see the code written there?"   
He sighed. Of course, he saw the code, but he was not sure what could mean. He'd have to admit he wasn't that clever after all.   
" I don't know what it means"   
"But you know how to solve it?"  
"If I knew, I would already  give you the answer, don't you think?"   
"There must be a way, you have to help me, you're Jim's friend"   
He kept silent. He was, indeed, the only friend Jim had. Although he would not help, he wasn't as clever to solve puzzles as Jim was. And the only other person who could solve it was his mortal enemy. He would manage to help but she didn't need to know.   
"You should stop this, he's dead. Any other business he didn't solve doesn't matter anymore. I won't help and you should go home, or look for psychological help" 

_Take it easy, tiger. No need to be rude to my little mouse._  

He stood, led her out and slammed the door on her face.

* * *

 

Molly sat on her couch across Jim's ghost who would never leave. She really started to wonder if she was imagining it or it was a real ghost because he kept acting just like Jim used to and saying things she would never think of. However, she didn't fear it; she liked him to be there at her side.  

"Did you manage to solve it?"

She didn't answer and kept staring at the letter. 

"Oh, you aren't gonna ignore me, are you?"

"Shut up, please"

"If you think that if I get quiet I'll be gone, you're mad, my dear"

"I know, it's just I can't focus"

"On what? Are you really trying to solve it on your own? Don't be silly, though it is an easy one, I don't think you can solve it"

"Why don't just tell me what it means then?"

"Where's the fun in that?"

She groaned. She was getting sick. 

"Look, I loved you. But I can't put up with this anymore. I'm sorry, Jim. I just visited with the only person who could have helped and..."

 

She jumped from her seat. And hurried out her flat. All of a sudden, she knew how she'd solve this little puzzle. 

* * *

 

There were books where there used to be a carpet, there were books everywhere (maths, cryptology, secret messages and morse code). If you wanted to walk by, you wouldn't be able. There were also notebooks and Jim's laptop.

_Nothing_. 

"I knew I couldn't solve it, but I had to try" 

Sebastian Moran was good with weapons, guns, he was the best sniper UK could ever know. But he was not as smart as Jim (used to be). He knew it. But the only way he could get what he was looking for was to ask Sherlock Holmes and certainly, he wouldn't betray his friend after what had happened. 

He had to find another way. If Jim was alive he had to find him. If he was dead he had to take revenge on his death, and take care of whatever he had been planning (even if it meant to look after that dull, crazy girl that used to be his girlfriend). 

"Why Jim? Why do you want me to meet with Holmes? You know I will kill him once I see him again. But you don't want that, what's wrong with you? If it is one of your silly games I swear... I swear" He sighed. Since Jim was dead he had started talking to himself again, like he used to do when he was back from war and had to deal with the trauma. But now he was alone. He missed Jim but he'd find him. 

* * *

 

"I thought you didn't want to see me ever again. How did you know I was here?"

The girl looked fixed at the man, had he been spying on her? Molly had been waiting for her "friend" to arrive so she could ask him about the code, surely, he'd find it weird, but it was her only chance to find whatever Jim wanted her to find. It as raining, autumn always brought sombre clouds and storms, and she was actually being exposed to thunders but it didn't matter, she'd do anything, she'd go anywhere, she'd talk to anyone if there was a chance to bring him back, but would she be able to believe in anything? 

"I don't but I had to stop you" 

"Sorry? Stop me? How did you find me?"

The woman was starting to get worried and angry at the situation, she hated when people treat her like she was useless and no smart enough to understand a situation or that they pretended that their problems were really that interesting and mysterious to share them with her. The man managed to make Molly stand from the wet bench under an old maple tree where she had been waiting for about ten minutes before Sebastian arrived, fortunately, Sherlock had thought the meeting was just another attempt from the girl to get to him, so he hadn't taken it seriously and had been late. Too late.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, I hope you liked this one.


	7. Chapter 7

Ireland was known because of its myths, its legends. 

Little fairies that used to live under mushrooms circles in the forest, waiting for tired or incredulous travellers during cold nights to join them in their big parties, where time was slower than in earth so they would fool them and they would have to stay forever, without even notice. 

Where elves and strange little men would appear at midnight under the moonlight at certain nights a year and would take people to know their realms, take revenge on them or just play with children who were kind to their parents (or take them with them forever if they weren't that kind).

There were many legends and people procured to be good if they didn't want to see the  _good people_  coming for them. 

Or most people. 

Although Jim Moriarty was brought up by an Irish family, he never believed a single word of what old people used to tell him. He had discovered those stories had been made to control people's actions, so they would have to be good or imaginary creatures would take them to hell. Funny human psychology. Fear. He was not sure what fear was supposed to feel like. But he knew it would not control him. 

Though he did like fairy-tales and myths, and he liked to pretend that they were real for the sake of his own amusement, he always knew they weren't real. But he liked that people thought they were or at least had the little suspect they were. People's clumsiness was so entertaining. 

He had done experiments, several times in different seasons.

But this was the first time he was doing it at all Hallows Eve. He has nothing better to do, anyway- probably his mother would not think the same. But he was cleverer than his mother so he knew what worthed his time and definitely boring homework about ethics and utopic stuff didn't worth his time.

He had fallen asleep on a mushroom circle and had waited for the fairies to take him. He had woken up because the cold of the night had made him shiver. 

* * *

 

 _Jack o' the lantern! Joan the wad,_  
_Who tickled the maid and made her mad_  
_Light me home, the weather's bad._

Children had been singing all day. And it was starting to get dull. He didn't like parties, people were always singing and dancing those silly dances they had (to him it was more like a sort of jumping if anyone asked), the cooks were baking many different pieces of bread.   
The air was filled with beer, bread, food and coffee smell that would make everyone shiver. It was the smell of autumn. The noises of people laughing, people who were busy getting ready for the party, children playing, and the wind dancing for all the place.   
It was so cheerful. It was hateful.

He liked this day though. He liked to think the creatures hidden in darkness could be real so life would not be that boring after all. He wanted to be one of those creatures from the tales, one of those everyone was afraid of. So at a certain point, he had promised himself he would become one no matter how. 

 _Jack o' the lantern! Joan the wad,_  
_Who tickled the maid and made her mad_  
_Light me home, the weather's bad._

As his mother would attend to the mass tonight, he had decided he would take the old path, through the woods, so he would avoid the silly children (no younger than himself) and their sillier songs. 

Jim liked symbolism, he always thought being born at this day would mean something, would mean he was special because Jim also loved the spotlight.

It was supposed to be a special day, but everyone celebrated it and forget about him. That's why he used to avoid people on this day and their awkward costumes and instead, walk all alone.  
If only there was a way everyone knew that this day was his, in his honour. He'd think of something.

During the time he spent over the grass and dead orange leaves, while he waited for fairies to take him away and he was attempting to take his mind off those fairy tales, he expected an idea to come, an idea to make everybody notice there were more important things to celebrate, but it didn't and instead he drifted off. 

He had spent more time sleeping in the forest than he would have liked, it was already dark when he got up, and it was getting colder.

It was dark and though he wasn't scared it was so dark he couldn't see either the branch under his feet that made him fall or the sharp rock, now red, under his head. 

* * *

 

If the devil had to choose a woman to have his child, it wouldn't be her. Not a woman like her. She was smart, gentle and also beautiful: black-haired and green-eyed, skin as pale as snow.

Everyone would describe her as an angel.

It would have to be a woman who was away from manners, values and all that stuff that take people to the good path. 

But then, since she noticed about her third pregnancy, everything changed. It looked like the baby was taking her breath away. She looked like she was slowly dying. And everyone whispered. Whispers about curses, a cursed child. But she knew better. It was she, she was getting old. 

Doctors had said she was lucky she was alive after that day when the little boy was born. And people talked about the kid, who had been born at devil's night, at midnight. And that his mother's suffering had been noticed for all the hamlet they lived in.

No one ever trusted on those dark eyes, on that look of his. Nor on that smile. No one ever allowed their children to make friends with Jim Moriarty, the boy with strange ideas, the boy who had disappeared in the woods at Halloween and had been found dead later, the dead boy that had come back to life and killed many children in the village. The son of the devil.

After all, maybe the devil would choose such a perfect woman to be the mother of his child.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!  
> My Sherlock Holmes book says James Moriarty's birthday is on October 31st, so that's why I used it. And don't forget this was supposed to be a Halloween story so that's why it is a bit unrealistic. Sorry for any mistake.


	8. Chapter 8

Molly looked fixed at the shadow in the woods, who she knew it was Sherlock, towards the window in the cafe she had met Jim months ago, which had brought her memories and she had to hold her tears back, she didn't want to cry.  

"Don't" Sebastian was not very talkative today, and had refused to give any explanations to Molly about his behaviour and why he had forced her to leave the place in order to avoid her meeting with Sherlock. 

"What's going on? If you don't tell me, I'll go back with Sherlock, he was going to help me" Sebastian rolled his eyes at her, though it didn't bother her anymore, it had become something natural and she had already got used to it. 

"Jim wouldn't want him to help" Sebastian talked again

"Well, he shouldn't have given this to me. He knows... knew I am not a genius"

Molly was impressed by the way Sebastian talked about Sherlock and the fact Jim knew Sherlock too. And they talked about him like he was the worst person in the world. Sherlock was a rude man, she knew it. But what possibly could have happened, and why Jim was involved? She didn't know and she was not sure if she wanted to know. However, Sherlock was still her friend and the only person that could help her in such a strange situation.

"Perhaps he thought you were a bit clever, love is blind" Molly sighed.

"It is raining, he'll be waiting..."

"And here I thought you were still in love with Jim"

"I am! But Sherlock is my friend!"

"Sure that's why you've cried over him so many times" Molly's eyes widened as much as her mouth did.

"How the hell you know this much? Jim knew it too? How long have you been spying on me?!"   
"Calm down, Hooper. You aren't that important. And hush, I need to think."

"I won't go quiet unless you tell me what's going on!" Her voice was loud and everyone in the cafe stared at them for some seconds. She looked around and realised she was being watched for everyone and then she blushed. Sebastian shot her an annoyed glance and she stood up, leaving him behind. The rain had turned into a downpour and as soon as she stomped right out the cafe she was already soaking wet. Sebastian followed her and stopped her attempt to reach for the detective, taking her by the arm.

"I'll explain everything to you, but you have to wait, please don't go with him" Molly breathed. He was begging now and she wondered what kind of thing was behind all of this.

"We could go to my flat" she suggested, thinking that people would talk if they came back to the cafe.

"I'd rather be anywhere else" Molly gave him a confused look. Was he insulting her now? And he rolled his eyes for the second time, reading the confusion on her face.

"He probably will pay you a visit because you are not answering your phone either. We'll think of something later. For now, we have to go" She nodded and joined him in the taxi he had hailed. "Where are we going?"

"You'll see"

* * *

 

A little dark chocolate cake was over the table. There were also some cups of hot cocoa and a little box wrapped up in light blue paper and a darker blue ribbon on it.   
Two boys waited in the living room, both of them with open notebooks; they were doing homework, the eldest was looking forward to studying at Ireland's military school and the one in the middle wanted to be even better than him so he would avoid natural comparison. Finally, a flustered woman stood at the door, staring at the sunset and beyond, peeping at those disguised teenagers running through the forest, looking for scary adventures during Halloween's night or just sex.   
She knew her youngest child didn't put up very well with people, and teenagers were people (the worst kind of people). She also knew his son enjoyed spending time alone, she used to worry about it, he was always so lonely and he hadn't told her but she knew one of the children at school bullied him.   
It was getting late and even though it wouldn't be the first time Jim stayed out at night and even fell asleep in the woods unsupervised, it was his birthday and she felt guilty because she hadn't been there earlier, she hadn't done something special (even she had recognised she had forgotten about his birthday) and he had spent the whole day, a special one (the only special day during the year, at least for him), all alone.

It was ten o'clock when she decided it was time to look for Jim, so she took the eldest brother with her (and the only emergency lamp still working), they'd look for him.

The boy in the middle would wait at home in case Jim returned, sadly he never did.

-   
The sun had already come up and there was no clue of Jim. He was still missing and a group of men from the village he lived in, had joined the search. They were screaming at him, screaming his name, hoping he would hear and talk to them, but he didn't. Her mother, who hadn't slept in more than 24 hours now, didn't want to stop once the men told her to go home, she knew she had to find her child.

In the middle of the forest, there was a hollow, and though it was now visible, during nights the fog and darkness made difficult to see it. So, if anyone ran in those conditions, it was sure they'd fall.   
And that was what had happened to Jim, whose body was found lying over the soil now red. It was red because there was dry blood, blood coming from the head of the unconscious boy. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is getting a bit dull, sorry about that. I've been overthinking about this whole story, trying to remember why I started it in the first place. The good news is that I'm on summer break so hopefully, I'll be able to write more often, though I seriously need to practice my academic writing cause I'm planning on taking a certification by the end of summer, and I think I know nothing. So, sorry again for any mistake and thank you for reading. It means the world to me.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! Once again I am not sure what I am doing, just the idea came to me because I was trying to get some work done in an very very atumn afternoon, I hope you like this and I will try to update as soon as possible. I want it to get finished for Halloween.  
> Sorry for any mistakes.  
> Thank you for reading.


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